Container for spices and the like



Sept. 2, 1941. I w PUNTE 2,254,581

CONTAINER FOR SPICES AND THE LIKE 7 Filed May 2', 1940 Wei-m '1 out Patented Sept. 2, 1941 CONTAINER FOR SPICES AND THE LIKE William F. Punte, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 2, 1940, Serial No. 333,024

1 Claim.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in sheet metal containers, and more particularly to containers for dispensing spices and the like. I

An object of the invention is to provide a closure means for a container having an opening in one end thereof with a closure member for said opening which may be rotated and positioned for selective pouring or sifting of the contents of the container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a control closure member of the above type which is attached to the end by a shaping of the metal of the end with which it is associated.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a control closure member of the above type which is provided with oppositely disposed raised portions through one of which, when brought into register with the opening in the end, the contents may be poured, and through the other of which, when brought into register with the opening in the end, the contents may be sifted. 1

In the drawing which shows by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a container embodying the improvements;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view longitudinally through the container;

Figure 3 is a view of the container top before the closure member is applied thereto; and

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing the closure member positioned for closing the opening into the container.

My improved container includes a body portion l which as shown is substantially rectangular in cross section with rounded corners. This is the usual shaping of small containers for dispensing spices or the like. End members, one of which is shown at 2 in the drawing, are secured to the body portion by the usual form of seam indicated at 3. The end member has a depression formed therein so that the closure end 2 is disposed beneath the outer limits of the end seams joining the closure member to the container body. The end member is provided with a circular depression 4 which extends from a point adjacent one of the longitudinal side walls to a point adjacent the other longitudinal side wall. This depression is provided with an opening 5 which is positioned at one side of the center of the depression and adjacent the periphery thereof. The end is also provided with a segmental rib 6 which tapers gradually away from the depression and merges into the end member. Said end member is fur- 55 ther provided with a similar arcuate rib l at the opposite side of the depression. The depression in the end is only sufficient to house a closure disk 8 of sheet metal. Said disk rests upon the bottom of the depression and extends from one side wall of the depression to the other, so that the side walls of the depression which are circular to conform to the shaping of the disk, serve as a means for rotatably supporting said closure disk.

After the closure disk is placed in the depression, the segmental ribs 6 and l are depressed inwardly toward the center of the depression, thus forming spaced holding lugs 9, 9. These holding lugs overlie the closure disk and serve as a means for retaining the disk in the depression in the end, but permitting said disk to be freely rotated.

Said closure disk is provided with a raised cylindrical member Ill which has an opening II in its upper end of substantially the same diameter as the raised member. Said disk is provided with a second raised member l2 which is provided with sifter openings l3, l3.

The disk may be rotated by engagement with these raised members which serve, in a measure, as a handle for the rotating of the disk. As shown in Figure 1, the disk has been positioned so that the opening I l is in register with the open ing 5 in the container end. This enables the contents to be poured through the openings 5 and I I, and it also enables the container to be filled with the spice through these relatively large openings. By rotating the disk so as to bring the raised member I 2 into register with the opening 5, then the contents of the container may be sifted through the openings I3. By rotating the disk so that the raised members are positioned as shown in Figure 4, then the disk serves as a closure member for the opening 5. As noted, this disk contacts with the bottom of the depression, and therefore, will provide a tight closure for the container when it is not desired to empty the contents thereof through the pouring opening or the sifting opening.

The dimensions of the disk and the positioning of the raised portions is such that the opening will be completely closed by the disk when positioned as shown in Figure 4.

It is obvious that many changes in the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what I opposite sides of the depression, said depression having an opening therethrough disposed wholly at one side of the center thereof, a disk fitting within said depression and making contact with the bottom thereof, said ribs having at spaced intervals depressed portions forming lugs projecting inwardly over said disk for rotatably re-j taining said disk in said depression; said disk having diametrically opposed raised portions the upper ends of said raised portions terminating substantially in a plane containing the extreme upper portion of the seam joining the end to the body portion, the top of one of which is cut away to form' a pouring opening and the top of the other of which is provided with small openings for sifting, said raised portions being disposed so that by a rotation of the disk said raised portions may be selectively brought into register with the 7 opening in the end for pouring or sifting, and so that when said raised portions are moved out of register with said opening it will be tightly closed by said disk.

' WILLIAM F. PUN'IE. 

